Floor power distribution system

ABSTRACT

A power hub includes a base assembly configured to abut a floor surface, a shaft coupled at a lower end to the base assembly, an impact loop coupled to an upper end of the shaft, and an electrical receptacle block housed in the impact loop, wherein an upper portion of the electrical receptacle block is free and is spaced from an upper portion of the impact loop such that in the event the power hub is tipped over, the upper portion of the impact loop absorbs contact with a ground surface to lessen the impact imparted to the electrical receptacle block.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/585,290, which was filed on May 3, 2017, entitled “FLOORPOWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM,” which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/850,206, which was filed on Sep. 10, 2015,entitled “FLOOR POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM,” now, U.S. Pat. No.9,685,730, which claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/049,483, which was filed on Sep. 12, 2014, entitled “FLOOR POWERDISTRIBUTION SYSTEM,” and claims benefit to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/216,051, which was filed Sep. 9, 2015, entitled“FLOOR POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.” The aforementioned relatedapplications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Current floor power distribution systems are often difficult to assembleand conceal. Such systems may also be susceptible to fluid intrusion.Further, these systems may present trip hazards or interfere with theuse or positioning of floor equipment. Thus, there is a need for a floorpower distribution system that overcomes these deficiencies.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a power hub includesa base assembly configured to abut a floor surface, a shaft coupled at alower end to the base assembly, an impact loop coupled to an upper endof the shaft, and an electrical receptacle block housed in the impactloop, wherein an upper portion of the electrical receptacle block isfree and is spaced from an upper portion of the impact loop such that inthe event the power hub is tipped over, the upper portion of the impactloop absorbs contact with a ground surface to lessen the impact impartedto the electrical receptacle block.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a power hubincludes a base assembly, a shaft extending upwardly from the baseassembly, a housing extending upwardly from the shaft, the housingincluding one or more rails extending into a cavity, and an electricalreceptacle block housed in the housing, and including a housingcompartment housing a bus bar assembly, a faceplate, wherein the housingcompartment and the faceplate slidably engage the one or more rails fromopposing sides of the impact loop and are snappably coupled to eachother.

These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present disclosurewill be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art uponstudying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a floor power distribution system;according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a primary raceway of the floordistribution system;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a branch raceway and a power in-feedassembly of the primary raceway;

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the assembly of the power in-feed assembly to afloor;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a bus bar assembly;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a hub arrangement;

FIG. 8 illustrates a bus bar assembly secured by a hub housing;

FIG. 9 illustrates a secondary raceway of the floor power distributionsystem;

FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of an adapter;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the adapter;

FIG. 12 illustrates the adapter being coupled to a secondary raceway;

FIG. 13 illustrates a connection arrangement of a blank junctionassembly;

FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of a blank filler;

FIG. 15 is a bottom perspective view of a blank filler;

FIG. 16 illustrates a connection arrangement of a NEMA junctionassembly;

FIG. 17 is a bottom perspective view of a NEMA module, wherein a bottomhousing member has been removed;

FIG. 18 is a bottom perspective view of the NEMA module showing thebottom housing member;

FIG. 19 illustrates a connection arrangement of a door junction assemblyin a dual door configuration;

FIG. 20 illustrates a connection arrangement of a door junction assemblyin a single-door configuration;

FIG. 21 is a top perspective view a door module;

FIG. 22 is a top perspective view of the door module with a door shownin an open position;

FIG. 23 illustrates a dual plug arrangement engaged to the door junctionassembly shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 24 illustrates a plug arrangement electrically connected to a NEMAreceptacle;

FIG. 25 is a top perspective view of the plug arrangement;

FIG. 26 is a bottom perspective view of the plug arrangement;

FIG. 27 is a top perspective view of a protective cap according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 28A is a bottom perspective view of the protective cap shown inFIG. 27;

FIG. 28B is a top perspective view of an alternative embodiment of theprotective cap shown in FIG. 27;

FIG. 28C is a top view of yet another alternative embodiment of theprotective cap shown in FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 illustrates the protective cap of FIGS. 27 and 28A engaged to aplug arrangement;

FIG. 30 is a top perspective view of a protective cap according toanother embodiment;

FIG. 31 is a bottom perspective view of the protective cap shown in FIG.30;

FIG. 32 illustrates several protective caps in a stacked arrangement;

FIG. 33 illustrates the protective cap of FIGS. 30 and 31 engaged to aplug arrangement of a NEMA module;

FIG. 34 is a front perspective view of a power hub according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 35 is a bottom perspective view of a weighted base assembly;

FIG. 36 is a front perspective view of the weighted base assembly;

FIG. 37 is bottom view of an upper member of the weighted base assembly;

FIG. 38 is a front perspective view of an impact loop;

FIG. 39 is a top perspective view of a housing compartment of anelectrical receptacle block;

FIG. 40 illustrates the housing compartment secured within the impactloop;

FIG. 41 is a front perspective view of the electrical receptacle blockhaving electrical receptacles arranged in a ground up configuration; and

FIG. 42 is a rear perspective view of the electrical receptacle blockhaving electrical receptacles arranged in a ground down configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As required, detailed embodiments of the present disclosure aredisclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosedembodiments are merely exemplary and may be embodied in various andalternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to a detailed designand some schematics may be exaggerated or minimized to show functionoverview. Therefore, specific structural and functional detailsdisclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as arepresentative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variouslyemploy the teachings of the present disclosure.

As used herein, the term “and/or,” when used in a list of two or moreitems, means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself,or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be employed.For example, if an apparatus is described as containing components A, B,and/or C, the composition can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and Bin combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B,and C in combination.

Referring to FIG. 1, a floor powered distribution system 10 is generallyshown. The system 10 benefits from a modular and low profile design andmay be implemented in commercial, educational and domestic applications.The system 10 includes a primary raceway 12 that may be in electricalcommunication with a power source 14. The primary raceway 12 may beconfigured to deliver standard electrical power from the power source 14to one or more secondary raceways 16. The power source 14 may include abuilding power source, and is exemplarily shown as a conventionaljunction box coupled to a wall 18. In other embodiments, the powersource 14 may be provided in other building structures such as a floor,ceiling, or other structure, or may be a standalone power source.

The secondary raceways 16 may be electrically coupled to the primaryraceway 12 at a junction, which is exemplarily shown as a blank junctionassembly 20. The secondary raceways 16 may each deliver electrical powerreceived from the primary raceway 12 to corresponding junctions, whichare exemplarily shown as a dual door junction assembly 22, a NEMAjunction assembly 24, and a single-door junction assembly 26,respectively. Depending on the connection arrangement for a particularjunction, the junction may enable electrical power to be delivered toone or more connected electrical devices and/or route electrical powerto another junction(s) in the system 10. As an additional feature,portions of the system 10 represented by dotted lines may be placedbeneath a floor covering 28 (e.g. carpet) so as not to interfere withfoot traffic. Further, while a floor power distribution system 10 isprovided herein, it should be appreciated that the various connectionarrangements described below may be similarly implemented in powerdistribution systems that draw support from other surfaces such as, butnot limited to, walls, ceilings, and the like, without departing fromthe teachings provided herein.

Referring to FIG. 2, the primary raceway 12 of the system 10 is shownaccording to one embodiment. The primary raceway 12 may include a hubarrangement 30, a branch raceway 32, and a power in-feed assembly 34,each of which may be configured to abut a floor or other surface.Together, the hub arrangement 30, the branch raceway 32, and the powerin-feed assembly 34 may cooperate to deliver standard electrical powerfrom a power source (e.g. power source 14). Electrical power may bedelivered via an electrical wire 36 that may be electrically coupled tothe power source and extends through the power in-feed assembly 34 andthe branch raceway 32. The electrical wire 36 may also be electricallycoupled to the hub arrangement 32 and electrical power carried on theelectrical wire 36 may be dispersed within the hub arrangement 30 anddelivered to one or more adapters (not shown) coupled to the hubarrangement 32 at coupling areas 38 a-38 c to enable one or moreelectrical connections to be made with the hub arrangement 30.

Referring to FIG. 3, an exploded view of the power in-feed assembly 34and the branch raceway 32 is shown according to one embodiment.Beginning from the right of the page, the power in-feed assembly 34 mayinclude an upper housing member 40 and a lower housing member 42connected to one another via one or more mechanical fasteners 44. Theupper housing member 40 may include a raised neck portion 46 that has anopening 48 for allowing access to the electrical wire 36 so that adirect or indirect connection can be made with a power source. The lowerhousing member 42 may include a raised portion 50 having an opening 52through which the electrical wire 36 is fed into the branch raceway 32.The power-feed assembly 34 may further include a cover 54 having a space56 that is configured to receive the raised neck portion 46 of the upperhousing member 40. The cover 54 may be secured to the upper housingmember 40 and/or lower member 42 via a snap fit arrangement or othersuitable means (e.g., mechanical fasteners) to accommodate various floorcovering thicknesses.

The assembled power in-feed assembly 34 may be coupled to the branchraceway 32 by adjoining the raised portion 50 to one end 58 of thebranch raceway 32 via one or more mechanical fasteners 60. Once engaged,the underside of the branch raceway 32 and the underside of the powerin-feed assembly 34 may be substantially coplanar with respect to eachother, thereby enabling the power in-feed assembly 34 and the branchraceway 32 to be placed on a floor or other surface in a low profileconfiguration. As exemplarily shown in FIG. 4, the power in-feedassembly 34 and the branch raceway 32 may be positioned to abut a floorarea 61 proximate a power source, exemplarily shown as a wall mountedjunction box 62. The branch raceway 32 may be placed under a floorcovering 64 and the assembled upper and lower housing members 40, 42 ofthe power in-feed assembly 34 may be located within a cut out portion 66of the floor covering 64 and positioned to abut against a wall 68 oragainst a molding 70. A conduit 72 may be coupled to the junction box 62and the opening 48 of the upper housing member 40 to enable theelectrical wire 36 to make a direct or indirect electrical connectionwith the junction box 62. The conduit 72 may be secured to the upperhousing member 40 via a removable locking member 74. As shown in FIG. 5,the cover 54 may be placed over the assembled upper and lower housingmembers 40, 42 to hide the cut out portion 66 and compress the floorcovering 64. With respect to FIGS. 4 and 5, it should be understood thatthe power in-feed assembly 34 may be configured to enable the branchraceway 32 to extend in various directions relative to the wall 68.Furthermore, it should be understood that the power in-feed assembly 34may be positioned behind the wall 68 in alternative embodiments.

Referring back to FIG. 3, the branch raceway 32 is exemplarily shown ina linear configuration and may be configured in other linear ornon-linear configurations of variable length in other embodiments. Thebranch raceway 32 may have a hat shaped configuration including a baseportion 76 and a raised conduit 78 that houses the electrical wire 36.The conduit 78 may be positioned centrally along the base portion 76 andmay extend the length of the branch raceway 32. As an optional feature,the branch raceway 32 may include two ramps 80, each disposed onopposite sides of the conduit 78 and extending the length of the branchraceway 32 between the power in-feed assembly 34 and the hub arrangement30. Each ramp 80 may have substantially the same height as the combinedheight of the base portion 76 and the conduit 78 of the branch raceway32. Each ramp 80 may also be partially supported by the base portion 76of the branch raceway 32 and configured such that its underside issubstantially coplanar with the underside of the branch raceway 32 toenable the ramp 80 to abut a floor or other surface. Additionally, eachramp 80 may taper when moving from an end 82 proximate to the conduit 78to an end 84 distal to the conduit 78. This enables the branch raceway32 to be less apparent when placed underneath a floor covering. Theramps 80 may be secured to the base portion 76 of the branch raceway 32via one or more mechanical fasteners (not shown). The electrical wire 36may exit the conduit 78 at end 86 of the branch raceway 32 and bepartitioned into separate wires, exemplarily shown as wires 88 a, 88 b,and 88 c, which may correspond to hot, ground, and neutral,respectively. Wires 88 a-88 c may be electrically coupled to a bus barassembly 90 that functions to disperse electrical power.

As best shown in FIG. 6, the bus bar assembly 90 may include a pluralityof conductor plates, shown as conductor plates 92 a-92 c. The conductorplates 92 a-92 c may be arranged in a vertical stacked configuration,and the bus bar assembly 90 may also include insulator plates 94 a and94 b that are interspaced between the conductor plates 92 a-92 c and maybe snappedly or frictionally engaged to each other to help secure theconductor plates 92 a-92 c. According to one embodiment, each of theconductor plates 92 a-92 c may be electrically coupled to a uniquelyassociated wire 88 a-88 c via a crimping member 95 a-95 c. Eachconductor plate 90 a-90 c may include arms 96 a-96 c that extendtherefrom and each arm 96 a-96 c may include an electrical contact 98a-98 c that is disposed distally from the corresponding conductor plate92 a-92 c. Each contact 98 a-98 c may be configured to receive a prongfrom an adapter. A slot 99 may be provided below each electrical contact98 a-98 c to allow the contacts 98 a-98 c to receive prongs havinglonger lengths. The conductor plates 92 a-92 c may have a square shapedbody 100 a-100 c whereby each crimping member 95 a-95 c is provided onone side of the corresponding body 100 a-100 c and each arm 96 a-96 cextends sideways from one of the remaining sides of the correspondingbody 100 a-100 c. In the presently illustrated embodiment, the arms 96a-96 c of a given conductor plate 92 a-92 c extend sideways therefrom at90 degrees, 180 degrees, and 270 degrees relative to the associated wire88 a-88 c.

As best shown in FIG. 7, the electrical contacts 98 a-98 c extending inlike directions define a triad 102 a-102 c capable of making anelectrical connection with a complementary plug (not shown). The arms 96a-96 c associated with each triad 102 a-102 c may have the same lengthand may be positioned about the corresponding conductor plate 92 a-92 csuch that the electrical contacts 98 a-98 c associated with each triad102 a-102 c are horizontally aligned and equally spaced with oneanother. Alternatively, the arms 96 a-96 c associated with any giventriad 102 a-102 c may be configured such that one or more of thecorresponding electrical contacts 98 a-98 c are staggered and/orunevenly spaced with respect to the others. In alternative embodiments,the electrical contacts 98 a-98 c associated with any given triad 102a-102 c may be configured in a plug arrangement that is configured to bereceived, or otherwise plug into a complementary adapter.

The bus bar assembly 90 may be secured within the hub arrangement 30,which includes a hub housing defined by a lower housing member 106 andan upper housing member 108. The lower housing member 106 includes anentryway 110 on a raised portion 112 of the lower housing member 106 toallow the entry of wires 88 a-88 c into the hub arrangement 30. Thewires 88 a-88 c may be secured to a slotted passageway 114 that leads toa recessed chamber 116 in which the bus bar assembly 90 may be received.A boss 118 may be centrally provided in the recessed chamber 116 and maybe configured to receive the bus bar assembly 90 via a complementaryspace 120 spanning the vertical center of the bus bar assembly 90 (FIG.8). Together, the recessed chamber 116 and the boss 118 may cooperate toprevent rotational movement of the bus bar assembly 90 such that eachtriad 102 a-102 c may be aligned with a uniquely associated electricalreceptacle 122 a-122 c of the upper housing 108. Each electricalreceptacle 122 a-122 c may be surrounded by a rib 123 extendingvertically from an upwardly facing surface 124 of the upper housingmember 108. Each electrical receptacle 122 a-122 c may include threeequally spaced and dimensioned slots 125 that are vertically alignedwith the electrical contacts 98 a-98 c of a corresponding triad 102a-102 c to define an electrical connector of the hub arrangement 30. Itshould be appreciated that any electrical connectors described hereinare not limited only to plug arrangements and/or receptaclesarrangements. Rather, it should be understood that the configuration ofany given electrical connector will necessarily be dictated by theconfiguration of a corresponding electrical connector with which theelectrical connector makes an electrical connection, and vice versa.Thus, with respect to the disclosure provided herein, an electricalconnector should be seen to include any electrical component capable ofbeing electrically coupled with another in order to transfer electricalpower therebetween.

As is further shown in FIG. 7, a housing gasket 126 may be tightlypositioned between the bus bar assembly 90 and the upper housing member108 of the hub arrangement 30. The housing gasket 126 may be configuredto not obstruct access to the electrical contacts 98 a-98 c of the busbar assembly 90 and may be engaged to a plurality of alignment pegs 128of the lower housing member 106. A center seal 129 may be tightlypositioned between the boss 118 and a recess 130 of the upper housingmember 108. The center seal 129 and the recess 130 may each have anopening 132, 133, respectively, that is vertically aligned with the boss118 to allow a mechanical fastener (not shown) to be received in theboss 118. The hub arrangement 30 may further include a sealing grommet134 that is coupled to the wires 88 a-88 c and tightly positioned beforethe slotted passageway 114. Together, the housing gasket 126, the centerseal 129, and the sealing grommet 134 define a sealing arrangement ofthe hub arrangement 30 and function to create a watertight seal betweenthe lower housing member 106 and the upper housing member 108. Once thesealing arrangement and the bus bar assembly 90 are properly positioned,the upper housing member 108 may be secured to the lower housing member106 via mechanical fasteners 136. Alternatively, the upper and lowerhousing members 108, 106 may be coupled to each other via vibrationwelding. In so doing, the housing gasket 126 may be omitted from the hubarrangement 30. Once the hub arrangement 30 is assembled, the branchraceway 32 may be coupled thereto by adjoining end 86 of the branchraceway 32 to the underside of the raised portion 112 of the lowerhousing member 106 via mechanical fasteners 138 such that the undersideof the branch raceway 32 and the underside of the hub housing 104 aresubstantially coplanar with each other, allowing the hub arrangement 30and the branch raceway 32 to be placed on a floor or other surface in alow profile configuration.

Referring to FIG. 9, the secondary raceway 16 is shown according to oneembodiment. The secondary raceway 16 may be assembled with the hubarrangement 30 and the branch raceway 32 described previously hereinwith respect to the primary raceway 12. In place of the power in-feedassembly 34, the secondary raceway 16 may include a plug arrangement140, which is a specialized adapter capable of being coupled to thebranch raceway 32 and is electrically coupled to an electrical wire 142that extends through the branch raceway 32 and makes an electricalconnection with the bus bar assembly 90 located within the hubarrangement 30. As best shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the plug arrangement140 may include a plug housing 144 that has a lower portion 146 and araised portion 148 that is cantilevered from the lower portion 146. Theunderside of the lower portion 146 may include a recess portion 150which may be adjoined to end 58 of the branch raceway 32 via mechanicalfasteners 152 such that the underside of the branch raceway 32 issubstantially coplanar with the underside of the plug housing 144,thereby allowing the plug arrangement 140 to be placed on a floor orother surface in a low profile configuration with respect to the branchraceway 32.

The plug arrangement 140 may also include an electrical connector 154surrounded by a seal member 156 that may be secured to a downwardlyfacing surface 158 of the raised portion 148. The seal member 156 maycorrespond to a foam water seal and may be contoured to the shape of therib 123 surrounding the electrical receptacles 122 a-122 c of the hubarrangement 30. The electrical connector 154 may be positioned to extendfrom the underside of the raised portion 148 and may be configured tocompliment an electrical connector (e.g. triad 102 a-102 c) of anothersecondary raceway 16 or a primary raceway 12. The electrical connector154 may include prongs 160 a-160 c that may correspond to hot, ground,and neutral, respectively. The prongs 160 a-160 c may be equallydimensioned and spaced according to the slots of the electricalreceptacles 122 a-122 c to allow an electrical connection to be madewith the corresponding electrical contacts 98 a-98 c of the bus barassembly 90.

As shown in FIG. 12, the plug arrangement 140 may be configured to makean electrical connection with the hub arrangement 30 of another raceway164, which may abut a floor 165 and may be configured as a secondaryraceway 16 or a primary raceway 12. In assembly, the prongs 160 a-160 cof the plug arrangement 140 may be inserted into the correspondingelectrical receptacle 122 b of the hub arrangement 30 by moving the plugarrangement 140 in a downward direction with respect to the hubarrangement 30. Preferably the prongs 160 a-160 c are inserted into thecorresponding electrical receptacle 122 b of the hub arrangement 30 bymoving the plug arrangement 140 in a downward path at an acute anglewith respect to the floor 165. More preferably, the prongs 160 a-160 care inserted into the corresponding electrical receptacle 122 b of thehub arrangement 30 by moving the plug arrangement 140 in a substantiallyvertical downward path with respect to the hub housing 104 of the hubarrangement 30, which will be described below in greater detail. As usedherein, the term “downward” is defined as toward a lower place or level.Thus, the term “downward direction” should be understood to encompassany downward motion that is non-horizontal in nature. Further, it shouldbe understood that any of the adapters described herein may be engagedto the hub arrangement 30 by moving the adapter in a downward directionwith respect to the hub arrangement 30.

Regarding the presently illustrated embodiment, the plug arrangement 140is positioned above a selected coupling area, exemplarily shown ascoupling area 38 b, such that the prongs 160 a-160 c of the plugarrangement 140 are vertically aligned with the corresponding electricalreceptacle 122 b. It should be understood that the selected couplingarea may correspond to coupling areas 38 a or 38 c in otherimplementations. Due to the prongs 160 a-160 c extending downwardly froma cantilevered portion (e.g. raised portion 148) of the plug arrangement140, the plug arrangement 140 is configured to only connect to the hubarrangement 30 in a single orientation to ensure a proper electricalconnection between the plug arrangement 140 and the hub arrangement 30of raceway 164. To aid in securing the plug arrangement 140, the hubarrangement 30 may include one or more sets of alignment stands 166a-166 c disposed about the periphery of the hub arrangement 30. Each setof alignment stands 166 a-166 c may be assigned to a correspondingcoupling area 38 a-38 c and may be received through complementarygrooves 168 in the plug housing 144, thereby preventing rotationalmovement between the plug arrangement 140 and the hub arrangement 30.

When the plug arrangement 140 is properly oriented, the prongs 160 a-160c may be inserted into the corresponding electrical receptacle 122 b ofthe hub arrangement 30 by moving the plug arrangement 140 in asubstantially vertical downward path with respect to the hub housing 104of the hub arrangement 30. Once in place, a vertical downward force maybe exerted on the plug housing 144, thereby causing the prongs 160 a-160c to be fully received by the electrical contacts 98 a-98 c of thecorresponding triad 102 b such that an electrical connection is madebetween the plug arrangement 140 and the hub arrangement 30 of raceway164. Furthermore, the vertical downward force compresses the seal member156 to form a substantially watertight seal between the plug housing 144and the hub arrangement 30. Once the prongs 160 a-160 c have been fullyinserted, the lower portion 146 of the plug arrangement 140 abuts thefloor 165 and the seal member 156 abuts and seals against the upwardlyfacing surface 124 of the hub arrangement 30 and the rib 123 of theelectrical receptacle 122 b. Additionally, the seal member 156 ispositioned between the downwardly facing surface 158 of the plug housing144 and the upwardly facing surface 124 of the hub arrangement 30. As aresult, the prongs 160 a-160 c are substantially perpendicular to thefloor 165 and the seal member 156 is substantially parallel to the floor165. The plug arrangement 140 may be secured to the hub arrangement 30via mechanical fasteners 169 to help ensure that the seal member 156 isfully compressed. In the presently illustrated embodiment, each of themechanical fasteners 169 may be inserted through a corresponding opening162 formed through the raised portion 148 of the plug housing 144 andfastened to a corresponding threaded member 163 that extends into theupwardly facing surface 124 of the hub arrangement 30.

Referring to FIG. 13, a connection arrangement for a blank junctionassembly 170 is shown according to one embodiment. The blank junctionassembly 170 generally functions to route electrical power in one ormore directions along a floor 172 or other surface and is closed offfrom external connections. With respect to the illustrated embodiment,the connection arrangement includes raceway 174, which may be configuredas a primary raceway 12 or a secondary raceway 16. The connectionarrangement may include one or more secondary raceways 16 coupled to thehub arrangement 30 of raceway 174 to route electrical power in thecorresponding floor direction towards additional junction assemblies(not shown), which may be configured according to any junction assemblydescribed herein.

The blank junction assembly 170 may also include one or more blankfillers 176, which are specialized adapters that act as a placeholderwhen a secondary raceway 16 is not necessary. In FIGS. 14 and 15, ablank filler 176 is shown according to one embodiment. The blank filler176 may include a stepped configuration, having a lower portion 178adapted to abut a floor or other surface and a raised portion 180 thatis cantilevered from the lower portion 178 to provide an overall lowprofile configuration when engaged to the hub arrangement 30 of raceway174. The blank filler 176 may also include a seal member 182 secured toa downwardly facing surface 184 (FIG. 15) of the raised portion 180. Theseal member 182 may correspond to a foam water seal configured to abutagainst the ribs 123 surrounding a corresponding electrical receptacle122 a-122 c. The blank filler 176 may further include grooves 185 formedin the lower portion 178 and a ramp 186 that extends outwardly from arear edge 188 of the lower portion 178. The ramp 186 may be adapted toabut a floor or other surface, and may taper towards an outer end 190,which may include a curved configuration.

Referring back to FIG. 13, the blank filler 176 may be connected to thehub arrangement 30 of raceway 174 in a similar manner to the plugarrangement 140 of a secondary raceway 16, as described previouslyherein. Specifically, the blank filler 176 may be positioned above achosen coupling area (e.g. coupling are 38 a) of the hub arrangement 30such that the raised portion 180 of the blank filler 176 is verticallyaligned with the corresponding electrical receptacle 122 a and grooves185 of the blank filler 176 are aligned with the appropriate alignmentstands 166 a. When the blank filler 176 is properly oriented, the blankfiller 176 may be engaged to the hub arrangement 30 by moving the blankfiller 176 in a substantially vertical downward path with respectthereto. A vertical downward force may be exerted thereon, causing theseal member 182 to compress, thereby forming a substantially watertightseal between the blank filler 176 and the hub arrangement 30 of raceway174. In such an arrangement, the seal member 182 is parallel to thefloor 172 and is positioned between the downwardly facing surface 184 ofthe blank filler 176 and the upwardly facing surface 124 of the hubarrangement 30. The blank filler 176 may be secured to the hubarrangement 30 via mechanical fasteners 191 to ensure that the sealmember 182 is fully compressed.

According to one embodiment, the rear edge 188 of the blank filler 176and rear edges 192 and 194 of the plug arrangements 140 and raceway 174,respectively, are curved and have the same radius with respect to therecess 130 of the hub arrangement 30. An intermediate trim member 196,exemplarily shown in a multi-piece configuration, may be optionallyprovided to supplement relatively thin floor coverings and may besimilarly included with any of the other junction assemblies describedbelow. The intermediate trim member 196 may be concentrically alignedwith and configured to surround each of the rear edges 188, 192, 194, ofthe blank filler 176, plug arrangements 140, and hub arrangement,respectively. The intermediate trim member 196 may draw support from thebranch raceways 32 of the secondary raceways 16 and raceway 174,respectively, along with the ramp 186 of the blank filler 176. Once theintermediate trim member 196 is in position, a floor covering 198 havinga cut out portion 200 may be overlaid on the hub arrangement 30,followed in turn by an upper trim member 202 and a blank cover 204. Theupper trim member 202 may be configured to enclose the blank cover 204and may include springs 205 on which the blank cover 204 is positioned.The exposed blank cover 204 may serve to indicate the floor position ofblank junction assembly 170 and may include an opening 206 that isvertically aligned with the boss 118 located inside the hub arrangement30. This allows a mechanical fastener 207 to be inserted through theopening 206 and be received in the boss 118, thereby compressing thesprings 205 of the upper trim member 202 such that the blank cover 204sits flush with the trim member 202 and is fully secured to the hubarrangement 30 of raceway 174.

Referring to FIG. 16, a connection arrangement for a National ElectricalManufacturers Association (hereinafter referred to as “NEMA”) junctionassembly 208 is shown according to one embodiment. The NEMA junctionassembly 208 may abut a floor 209 and includes raceway 210, which maycorrespond to either a primary raceway 12 or a secondary raceway 16. TheNEMA junction assembly 208 generally functions to enable electricalpower to be delivered to one or more external electrical devices (notshown) that are connected to a NEMA module 212. The NEMA module 212 is aspecialized adapter configured to engage any of the coupling areas 38a-38 c of the hub arrangement 30 of raceway 210 and make an electricalconnection therewith.

The NEMA module 212 may include a main housing member 214 and a pair ofopposite side panels 216 each having one or more NEMA receptacles 218.Additionally, or alternatively, each side panel 216 may include otherreceptacle configurations. As best shown in FIG. 17, the NEMA module mayfurther include a bus bar assembly 220 that may be snappedly engaged toeach side panel 216 via a snap arrangement 222. Each bus bar assembly220 is in communication with one or more corresponding NEMA receptacles218 and may be electrically coupled to an electrical connector 224secured within the main housing member 214. The electrical connector 224may include a clamshell plug arrangement having three equallydimensioned and spaced prongs 226 a-226 c, which may correspond to hot,ground, and neutral, respectively, and may be configured to be receivedin an electrical receptacle 122 a-122 c of the hub arrangement 30. Asshown in FIG. 18, the prongs 226 a-226 c may extend through theunderside of a bottom housing member 228 that may be sandwiched betweenthe main housing member 214 and the side panels 216. The prongs 226a-226 c may extend downwardly from an off-centered location of thebottom housing member 228 and may be surrounded by a seal member 230.The seal member 230 may be secured to a platform 231 located on theunderside of the bottom housing member 228 and is configured to seal anelectrical receptacle 122 a-122 c of the hub arrangement 30 of raceway210. The seal member 230 may be configured as a foam water seal similarto that of the plug arrangement 140 and the blank filler 176 describedpreviously herein. The main housing member 214, side panels 216, andbottom housing member 228 may cooperate to define a pair of reliefspaces 232 that are accessed via the underside of the NEMA module 212.

Referring back to FIG. 16, the NEMA module 212 is exemplarily shownoriented to engage coupling area 38 a of the hub arrangement 30 ofraceway 210. The NEMA junction assembly 208 may include blank fillers176 a-176 c, each engaged to a corresponding coupling area 38 a-38 c ofthe hub arrangement 30. Blank filler 176 a may be modified to include apair of alignment towers 234 configured to be received the pair ofrelief spaces 232 of the NEMA module 212, thereby preventingtranslational or rotational displacement of the NEMA module 212 withrespect to the hub arrangement 30. Blank filler 176 a may be furthermodified to not obstruct the electrical receptacle 122 a associated withcoupling area 38 a. For instance, blank filler 176 a may include arecessed portion 236 formed in the raised portion 180 to permit accessto the corresponding electrical receptacle 122 a. Blank fillers 176 aand 176 b are arbitrarily chosen and may each be substituted for asecondary raceway 16 if desiring to route electrical power in thecorresponding floor direction.

In assembly, a floor covering 238 with a cut out portion 240 may beoverlaid on the hub arrangement 30, followed by a trim member 242 thatmay be configured to enclose the NEMA module 212 and may includecompression springs 243 on which the NEMA module 212 is positioned. TheNEMA module 212 is placed over the hub arrangement 30 such that theprongs 226 a-226 c are vertically aligned with the correspondingelectrical receptacle 122 a of coupling area 38 a and the pair of reliefspaces 232 are vertically aligned with the corresponding pair ofalignment towers 234 of blank filler 176 a. The NEMA module 212 may beengaged to the hub arrangement 30 by moving the NEMA module 212 in asubstantially vertical downward path with respect to the hub arrangement30. A vertical downward force may be exerted on the NEMA module 212 tocause the prongs 226 a-226 c to be inserted through the electricalreceptacle 122 a and be received by the corresponding electricalcontacts 98 a-98 c such that an electrical connection is made betweenthe NEMA module 212 and hub arrangement 30. Furthermore, the verticaldownward force compresses the seal member 230 to form a substantiallywatertight seal between the NEMA module 212 and the hub arrangement 30.Once the prongs 226 a-226 c have been fully inserted, the seal member230 may abut and seal against the rib 23 of the corresponding electricalreceptacle 122 a and the upwardly facing surface 124 of the hubarrangement 30. Additionally, the seal member 230 is positioned betweenthe underside of the NEMA module 212 and the upwardly facing surface 124of the hub arrangement 30. In such an arrangement, the prongs 226 a-226c are substantially perpendicular to the floor 209 and the seal member230 is substantially parallel to the floor 209. Furthermore, the NEMAmodule 212 may have an opening 244 in the main housing member 214 thatis vertically aligned with the boss 118 inside the hub arrangement 30,thereby allowing the NEMA module 212 to be secured to the hubarrangement 30 via a mechanical fastener 245 that is inserted throughthe opening 244 and engaged to the boss 118. Doing so causes the springs243 of the trim member 242 to compress such that only the NEMA module212 and the trim member 242 are exposed through the cut out portion 240of the floor covering 238.

Referring to FIG. 19, a connection arrangement for a door junctionassembly 246 is shown according to one embodiment. The door junctionassembly 246 includes raceway 248, which may abut a floor 249 and may beconfigured as a primary raceway 12 or a secondary raceway 16. The doorjunction assembly 246 generally functions to allow a plug arrangement(not shown) to plug directly into one or more of the electricalreceptacles 122 a-122 c of the hub arrangement 30 of raceway 248. Thedoor junction assembly 246 may also include one or more door modules 250coupled to the hub arrangement 30 of raceway 248 at any of the couplingareas 38 a-38 c. With respect to the present embodiment, the doorjunction assembly 246 is shown in a dual door configuration, where adoor module 250 is configured to engage opposite coupling areas 38 a and38 c of the hub arrangement 30. Alternatively, the door junctionassembly 246 may be assembled in a single door configuration, as shownin FIG. 20, wherein a door module 250 is configured to engage only onecoupling area, exemplarily shown as coupling area 38 b of the hubarrangement 30. In alternative embodiments of the single doorconfiguration, the door module 250 may be engaged to either couplingarea 38 a or 38 c. Both the single and dual door configurations may beassembled in a similar manner and will be described in greater detailbelow. For simplicity, blank fillers 176 are shown coupled to theremaining coupling areas 38 a-38 c of the hub arrangement 30 in FIGS. 19and 20 and may each be substituted for a different adapter, such as asecondary raceway 16, in alternative embodiments. While a single anddual door configuration are described herein, it should be understoodthat the door junction assembly 246 may also be arranged in a three doorconfiguration, wherein a door module 250 is engaged to each couplingarea 38 a-38 c.

The door module 250 is shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 according to oneembodiment. The door module 250 is another specialized adapter for usewith the system 10 and may include a stepped up configuration having alower portion 252 adapted to abut a floor or other surface and a raisedportion 254 that is cantilevered from the lower portion 252 to providean overall low profile configuration when engaged to the hub arrangement30 of raceway 248. The door module 250 may also include a recessedentryway 256 (FIG. 22) in the raised portion 254 that is covered by aspring bias door 258. The door 258 may be movable between a closedposition (FIG. 21) preventing access to a corresponding electricalreceptacle 122 a-122 c and an open position (FIG. 22) allowing access tothe electrical receptacle 122 a-122 c. A seal member 260 (FIG. 22) maybe secured to the underside of the door 258. The seal member 260 may beconfigured as a foam water seal and is configured to seal thecorresponding electrical receptacle 122 a-122 c when the door 258 is inthe closed position. The door module 250 may also include grooves 261and a ramp 262 that extends outwardly from a rear edge 264 of the lowerportion 252. The ramp 262 may be adapted to abut a floor or othersurface and may taper towards an outer end 266, which may have a curvedconfiguration.

Referring back to FIGS. 19 and 20, a given door module 250 may besecured to the hub arrangement 30 in a similar manner as the blankfiller 176, described previously herein. Specifically, the door module250 may be positioned above the corresponding coupling portion 38 a-38 cof the hub arrangement 30 such that the raised portion 254 of the doormodule 250 is vertically aligned with the corresponding electricalreceptacle 122 a-122 c and the grooves 261 are vertically aligned withthe alignment stands 166 a-166 c associated with the correspondingcoupling portion 38 a-38 c. The door module 250 may then be engaged tothe hub arrangement 30 by moving the door module 250 in a substantiallyvertical downward path with respect thereto. Next, a vertical downwardforce may be exerted on the door module 250 to compress the seal member260, thereby forming a substantially watertight seal between the doormodule 250 and the hub arrangement 30. The door module 250 may then beengaged to the hub arrangement 30 via mechanical fasteners 267. Onceengaged, the corresponding electrical receptacle 122 a-122 c may belocated within the recessed entryway 256 of the raised portion 254 ofthe door module 250. When the door 258 is in the closed position, theseal member 260 is substantially parallel to the floor 249 and may abutand seal against the rib 123 of the corresponding electrical receptacle122 a-122 c. A floor covering 268 having a cut out portion 270 may beoverlaid on the hub arrangement 30, followed in turn by a trim member272 and a door cover 274, such that only the trim member 272 and thedoor cover 274 are exposed. The door cover 274 may be enclosed by thetrim member 272 and placed upon compression springs 275 of the trimmember 272. The door cover 274 may include one or more radiallyextending door openings 276 to allow access to each door 258 and mayalso include a center opening 278 and center cap 280 combination thatare each vertically aligned with the boss 118 located within the hubarrangement 30. A mechanical fastener 282 may be inserted through thecenter cap 280 and center opening 278 and be received by the boss 118,thereby compressing the springs 275 such that the door cover 274 sitsflush with the trim member 272 and is fully secured to the hubarrangement 30.

Referring to FIG. 23, a pair of plug arrangements 288 is shown engagedwith the door junction assembly 246 shown previously in FIG. 19. In thepresently illustrated embodiment, each plug arrangement 288 is engagedto a corresponding electrical receptacle 122 a, 122 c. Each plugarrangement 288 is a specialized adapter for use with the system 10 andmay route electrical power directly to an external electrical device orto a power distribution module configured to make one or more electricalconnections. For example, as shown in FIG. 24, a given plug arrangement288 may be electrically connected to a NEMA receptacle 289.

As best shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, a plug arrangement 288 may include aplug housing 290 having three equally dimensioned and spaced prongs 292a-292 c extending from a lower portion 293. The prongs 292 a-292 c maycorrespond to hot, ground, and neutral, respectively, and are configuredto be received in an electrical receptacle 122 a-122 c of the hubarrangement 30 of a raceway (e.g. raceway 248). The prongs 292 a-292 cmay be electrically coupled to an electrical supply line 294 that isengaged to the plug housing 290 via a cable connector 296 that extendsat an angle relative to a longitudinal axis 298 and a lateral axis 300of the plug housing 290. Each plug arrangement 288 may also include aseal member 302 that is secured to a downwardly facing surface 304 (FIG.26) of the lower portion 293 and may surround the prongs 292 a-292 c.The seal member 302 of each plug arrangement 288 may be configured as afoam water seal that is contoured to the shape of the ribs 123surrounding the corresponding electrical receptacles 122 a-122 c. Eachplug arrangement 288 may further include an upper surface 306 having aflat portion 308 and a chamfered or angled portion 310.

Referring back to FIG. 23, assembly of each plug arrangement 288 to thedoor junction assembly 246 first requires moving each door 258 to theopen position to reveal a corresponding electrical receptacle 122 a, 122c of the hub arrangement 30. By virtue of the position of the electricalreceptacle 122 a, 122 c relative to its associated open door 258, eachplug arrangement 288 may only be inserted into the correspondingelectrical receptacle 122 a, 122 c in a single orientation, therebyensuring a proper electrical connection is made between each plugarrangement 288 and the hub arrangement 30. Each plug arrangement 288may be positioned above the corresponding electrical receptacle 122 a,122 c such that the prongs 292 a-292 c are vertically aligned therewith.A vertical downward force may be exerted on each plug housing 290 tocause the prongs 292 a-292 c to be inserted through the correspondingelectrical receptacle 122 a, 122 c and be received by the correspondingelectrical receptacles 102 a, 102 c within the hub arrangement 30 suchthat an electrical connection is made between each plug arrangement 288and the hub arrangement 30. Furthermore, the vertical downward forcecompresses the seal member 302 of each plug arrangement 288 to form asubstantially watertight seal between each plug arrangement 288 and thehub arrangement 30. Specifically, once the prongs 292 a-292 c have beenfully inserted, a seal may be made between the downwardly facing surface304 and the upwardly facing surface 124 of the hub arrangement 30,thereby sealing the corresponding electrical receptacle 122 a, 122 c. Inthat position, the prongs 292 a-292 c of each plug arrangement 288 aresubstantially perpendicular to the floor 249 and the seal member 302 ofeach plug arrangement is substantially parallel to the floor 249. Also,the lower portion 293 of each plug arrangement 288 may sit deeply withinthe recessed entryway 256 of the corresponding door module 250.Additionally, the door 258 of each door module 250 may abut and may besubstantially aligned with the angled portion 310 of the correspondingplug arrangement 288 to provide a low profile configuration. Further,the electrical supply lines 294 of each plug arrangement 288 may extendin substantially opposite directions and may be parallel to each other.

Accordingly, various connection arrangements have been advantageouslydescribed herein in great detail. The connection arrangements may beimplemented in a floor power distribution system 10 and may include oneor more junction assemblies formed at the hub arrangement 30 of either aprimary raceway 12 or a secondary raceway 16. It should be understood,however, that the system 10 is not limited to the use of any particularjunction assembly. That is, the system 10 may employ some or all of thejunction assemblies described previously. Thus, the system 10 may bearranged in numerous connection arrangements based on the needs of theuser.

Referring to FIGS. 27 and 28A, a protective cap 312 is shown forprotecting the prongs 160 a-160 c and the seal member 156 of the plugarrangement 140 described herein in reference to FIGS. 10-12 duringtransport, handling, etc. The protective cap 312 may be constructed fromplastic or other rigid or semi-rigid material and may include a bodyportion 314 that is substantially contoured to the raised portion 148 ofthe plug housing 144. The protective cap 312 may also include a pair ofdownwardly extending bosses 316 that are spaced to be snappedly receivedwithin the openings 162 (FIG. 10) through the raised portion 148 of theplug housing 144. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 28B, the protectivecap 312 may include openings 317 instead of the bosses 316 to allowmechanical fasteners (e.g., screws) to be received therethrough andengaged to openings 162 of the plug housing 144 for securing theprotective cap 312 to the plug arrangement 140. Alternatively still, asshown in FIG. 28C, the bosses 316 may be elsewhere located on theprotective cap 312 and positioned extend from the body portion 314 tosnappedly engage grooves 168 (FIG. 12) of the plug housing 144. Apartfrom the differences illustrated in FIGS. 28B and 28C, the protectivecap 312 shown in FIGS. 28B and 28C may otherwise be similarly configuredto the protective cap 312 shown and described herein with reference toFIGS. 27 and 28A. As best shown in FIG. 28A, a pair of guard walls 318may extend across the underside 320 of the body portion 314 and may beadjoined to a pair of opposing sidewalls 322 to create an enclosed space324 within which the prongs 160 a-160 c of the plug arrangement 140 arehoused when the protective cap 312 is engaged with the raised portion148 of the plug housing 144. It is noted that the guard walls 318 may beparallel with each other and may be perpendicular with the sidewalls322. A pair of opposing handles 326 may extend outwardly from the bodyportion 314 and may be exposed to allow a user to apply pressure to theprotective cap 312 so it can be disengaged from the raised portion 148of the plug housing 144.

In assembly, the protective cap 312 may be oriented relative to theraised portion 148 of the plug housing 144 such that the bosses 316 arealigned with the corresponding openings 162 of the raised portion 148 ofthe plug housing 144 and the underside 320 of the body portion 314 facesthe tips of the prongs 160 a-160 c of the plug arrangement 140. Assumingthe plug arrangement 140 is oriented so that the prongs 160 a-160 cpoint upwardly, the protective cap 312 may be engaged to the raisedportion 148 of the plug housing 144 by moving it in a downward motionuntil the bosses 316 snappedly engage the openings 162 of the raisedportion 148 of the plug housing 144. For purposes of illustration, theprotective cap 312 is generally shown engaged to the raised portion 148of the plug housing 144 in FIG. 29. When the protective cap 312 isengaged to the raised portion 148 of the plug housing 144, the sealmember 156 and the prongs 160 a-160 c of the plug arrangement 140 may becovered by the body portion 314 of the protective cap 312. The guardwalls 318 of the protective cap 312 may be located above the seal member156 in abutting contact therewith or spaced therefrom and the prongs 160a-160 c may be housed between the guard walls 318 and the sidewalls 322of the body portion 314. With respect to the illustrated embodiment, theprongs 160 a-160 c may run parallel to the guard walls 318 andperpendicularly to the side walls 322 when the protective cap 312 is inthe engaged position.

Referring to FIGS. 30 and 31, a protective cap 328 is shown forprotecting the prongs 226 a-226 c and the seal member 230 of the NEMAmodule 212 described herein in reference to FIGS. 17 and 18 duringtransport, handling, etc. The protective cap 328 may be constructed fromplastic or other rigid or semi-rigid material and may include a bodyportion 330 and a pair of opposing legs 332 extending perpendicularlyfrom the body portion 330. The pair of opposing legs 332 may beconfigured to frictionally engage the platform 231 on which the sealmember 230 is located and through which the prongs 226 a-226 c extend. Apair of guard walls 334 may extend across the underside 336 of the bodyportion 330 and may be adjoined to the legs 332 to create an enclosedspace 338 within which the prongs 226 a-226 c of the NEMA module 212 arehoused when the protective cap 328 is engaged to the platform 231. It isnoted that the guard walls 334 may be parallel with each other and maybe perpendicular with the legs 332. The protective cap 328 may alsoinclude a pair of square-shaped uprights 340 extending from the bodyportion 330 in a direction opposite to the legs 332. The uprights 340may be positioned slightly inward of the periphery of the body portion330 such that they may be frictionally engaged by the legs 332 ofanother protective cap 328, thereby allowing multiple protective caps328 to be arranged in a stacked configuration as exemplarilydemonstrated in FIG. 32. The stacking of multiple protective caps 328not only serves to save space but may also be a fun activity. Thus, itis contemplated that the protective caps 328 may also function as a toywhen not in use.

In assembly, the protective cap 328 may be oriented relative the NEMAmodule 212 such that the underside 336 of the body portion 330 faces thetips of the prongs 226 a-226 c and the seal member 230 of the NEMAmodule 212. Assuming the prongs 226 a-226 c point upwardly, theprotective cap 328 may be moved downward such that the legs 332frictionally engage the platform 231 and the guard walls 334frictionally engage the prongs 226 a-226 c. For purposes ofillustration, the protective cap 328 is shown engaged to the platform231 on the underside of the NEMA module 212 in FIG. 33. When theprotective cap 328 is in the engaged position, the body portion 330 maycover the seal member 230 and the prongs 226 a-226 c. The guard walls318 of the protective cap 334 may be located above the seal member 230in abutting contact therewith or spaced therefrom. Additionally, theprongs 226 a-226 c may be housed between the guard walls 334 and thelegs 332. While the protective cap 328 is in the engaged position, theprongs 226 a-226 c may run perpendicularly to the guard walls 334 andparallel with the legs 332.

Referring to FIG. 34, a power hub 400 is shown according to oneembodiment. The power hub 400 may include a weighted base assembly 402,a shaft 404, and an impact loop 406. An electrical receptacle block 408may be secured inside the impact loop 406 and may include one or moreelectrical receptacles 410 each configured to receive a complimentaryelectrical plug (not shown) of an electronic device. A power cord 412may be housed inside the weighted base assembly 402 and may include aplug 414 for engaging a complimentary electrical receptacle (not shown).It is contemplated that the power hub 400 may be used in conjunctionwith the floor powered distribution system 10 described herein orotherwise be used with a floor outlet, a wall outlet, or other powerdistribution systems to provide power to one or more electronic devicesthat are plugged into the electrical receptacle block 408. According toone embodiment, the plug 414 of the power cord 412 may be configured asa NEMA type plug thereby enabling the plug 414 to be plugged into theNEMA module 212 of the floor powered distribution system 10 or othercompatible receptacle such as the NEMA receptacle 289 shown in FIG. 24.Alternatively, the plug 414 may be configured similarly to the plugarrangement 288 described herein to enable the plug 414 to be pluggedinto an available electrical receptacle 122 a-122 c of a hub arrangement30 located at a door junction assembly (e.g., door junction assembly246).

Referring to FIGS. 35 and 36, the weighted base assembly 402 and a lowerportion of the shaft 404 are shown according to one embodiment. Theweighted base assembly 402 may include an upper member 416 coupled to alower member 418 in a spaced-apart relationship. The power cord 412 maybe stored in a coiled configuration between the upper member 416 and thelower member 418 and may be secured to a circuit breaker 420 that may becoupled to an underside portion 422 of the upper member 416 (FIG. 37).The power cord 412 may be manually extended and returned to the weightedbase assembly 402. A pair of downwardly extending protrusions 421 may beprovided near the periphery of the underside portion 422 to assist withsecuring the power cord 412 in the stowed position. A reset button 424(FIG. 36) for the circuit breaker 420 may be provided on a topside 426of the upper member 416. As best shown in FIG. 37, one or more threadedmembers 428 may be located on the underside portion 422 of the upperportion 416 and are aligned with complimentary openings on the lowermember 418 to enable the upper member 416 to be coupled to the lowermember 418 via mechanical fasteners 430 (FIG. 35).

Referring still to FIGS. 35 and 36, the upper member 416 of the weightedbase assembly 402 may include a neck 432 configured to mate with a lowerend 434 of the shaft 404 in a sheathed configuration. For instance, thelower end 434 of the shaft 404 may be configured to partially encase theneck 432 or vice versa. However, it should be appreciated that othermethods (e.g., using mechanical fasteners) may be used for coupling theweighted base assembly 402 to the shaft 404 if desired. The neck 432 andshaft 404 may both be hollow and open on each end to enable the plug 414to be wired to the electrical receptacle block 408. In the illustratedembodiment, the neck 432 and the shaft 404 may each have an oval-likecross-section but may have other cross-sectional shapes if desired.

According to one embodiment, the weighted base assembly 402 may beconstructed from a material that imparts a substantial heaviness theretorelative to the other components of the power hub 400 such as the shaft404, the impact loop 406, and the electrical receptacle block 408. Inone embodiment, the upper member 416 of the weighted base assembly 402may be constructed from a non-ferrous material such as zinc and thelower member 418 of the weighted base assembly 402 may be constructedfrom a ferrous material such as iron while the shaft 404, impact loop406, and electrical receptacle block 408 may be constructed fromplastic. In alternative embodiments, the upper and lower members 416,418 may be constructed using the same material such as zinc or iron.Also, it is contemplated that the shaft 404 may be constructed fromaluminum. Based on the height of the power hub 400 and by virtue of therelative weight of the weighted base assembly 402, it is contemplatedthat the power hub 400 may be tipped up to 45 degrees with respect toits vertical axis and still be able to return to a standing position.The lower member 418 may include one or more anti-slide members 436provided on an underside portion 438 of the lower member 418 to providetraction on slick surfaces such as tile, hardwood floors, and the like.The anti-slide members 436 may be constructed from rubber or other typesof gripping materials and may be concentrically aligned proximate theperiphery of the lower member 418 or be otherwise arranged on theunderside portion 438 of the lower member 418.

Referring to FIG. 38, the impact loop 406 and an upper portion of theshaft 404 are shown according to one embodiment. The impact loop 406 maybe configured to house the electrical receptacle block 408 therein andinsulates it from damage should the power hub 400 be dropped against thefloor or other support surface. In the presently illustrated embodiment,the impact loop 406 may have an obround shape and may include a cavity440 defined by side walls 442 and 444, upper curved portion 446, andlower curved portion 448. The side walls 442, 444 may each include oneor more T-shaped rails 450 extending therefrom into the cavity 440. Aswill be described further herein, the T-shaped rails 450 may help tosecure the electrical receptacle block 408 within the impact loop 406.To enable the electrical receptacle block 408 to be wired to the plug414 of the power cord 412, an opening 452 may be formed through thelower curved portion 448 of the impact loop 406 and extends through aneck 454 therebelow. The neck 454 may be configured to mate with anupper end 456 of the shaft 404 in a sheathed configuration or may beotherwise coupled thereto (e.g., via mechanical fasteners). In theillustrated embodiment, the neck 454 and the shaft 404 may each have anoval-like cross-section but may have other cross-sectional shapes ifdesired.

Referring to FIG. 39, the electrical receptacle block 408 is shownaccording to one embodiment. The electrical receptacle block 408 mayinclude a housing compartment 458 for storing a bus bar assembly 460that is electrically coupled to the power cord 412. The housingcompartment 458 may include a number of T-shaped depressions 462 thateach extend into opposing side walls 464 and 466 to receive acomplementary one of the T-shaped rails 450 of the impact loop 406,thereby allowing the housing compartment 458 to be guided into thecavity 440 of the impact loop 406 as shown in FIG. 40. As shown in FIG.41, the electrical receptacle block 408 may include a faceplate 468 thatmay also include T-shaped depressions (not shown) positioned to allowthe faceplate 468 to be guided into the cavity 440 of the impact loop406 to cover the housing compartment 458. The faceplate 468 may besnappedly engaged to the housing compartment 458 or otherwise coupledthereto to help prevent tampering of the bus bar assembly 460. The busbar assembly 460 may be configured such that one or more electricalreceptacles 472 are provided on the faceplate 468 as shown in FIG. 41and one or more electrical receptacles 474 are provided on the rear ofthe housing compartment 458 as shown in FIG. 42. According to theillustrated embodiment, the electrical receptacles 472 provided on thefaceplate 468 may each correspond to a NEMA type receptacle oriented ina ground up configuration. The electrical receptacles 474 provided onthe rear of the housing compartment 458 may also each correspond to aNEMA type receptacle and may be oriented in a ground down configuration.However, it should be appreciated that other types of electricalreceptacle arrangements are possible and their orientation along withthe type of plug they accept may differ if desired.

As is further shown in FIGS. 41 and 42, the electrical receptacle block408 may be dimensioned such that an upper portion 476 of the electricalreceptacle block 408 is free and is spaced from an upper portion 478(e.g., curved portion 446) of the impact loop 406. In such aconfiguration, when the power hub 400 is tipped, the upper portion 478of the impact loop 406 may absorb contact with the ground, therebylessening the amount of impact imparted to the electrical receptacleblock 408. Thus, it should be appreciated that the impact loop 406 maybe configured to not only house the electrical receptacle block 408 butmay also generally serve to insulate the electrical receptacle block 408from unwanted impact and may further serve as a means for a user tocarry the power hub 400 by grasping the upper portion 478 of the impactloop 406.

It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made onthe aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of thepresent disclosure, and further it is to be understood that suchconcepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless theseclaims by their language expressly state otherwise.

What is claimed is:
 1. A power hub, comprising: a base assemblyconfigured to abut a floor surface; a shaft coupled at a lower end tothe base assembly; an impact loop coupled to an upper end of the shaft;and an electrical receptacle block housed in the impact loop, wherein anupper portion of the electrical receptacle block is spaced from an upperportion of the impact loop such that when the power hub is tipped over,the upper portion of the impact loop absorbs contact with a groundsurface to lessen the impact imparted to the electrical receptacleblock.
 2. The power hub of claim 1, wherein the base assembly has agreater weight than a combined weight of the impact loop and theelectrical receptacle block.
 3. The power hub of claim 1, wherein thebase assembly comprises an upper member comprising a first material anda lower member comprising a second material.
 4. The power hub of claim3, wherein the first material is different than the second material. 5.The power hub of claim 4, wherein the first material comprises anon-ferrous material, and the second material comprises a ferrousmaterial.
 6. The power hub of claim 1, wherein the base assemblyincludes a relief configured to receive a power cord therein in a coiledconfiguration.
 7. The power hub of claim 1, wherein the impact loop hasan obround shape.
 8. The power hub of claim 1, wherein the impact loopincludes one or more rails extending into a cavity.
 9. The power hub ofclaim 8, wherein the electrical receptacle block includes a housingcompartment for a bus bar assembly, and a faceplate, wherein the housingcompartment and the faceplate are both configured to slidably engage theone or more rails from opposing sides of the impact loop.
 10. The powerhub of claim 9, wherein the housing compartment and the faceplate coupleto one another.
 11. The power hub of claim 10, wherein the housingcompartment and the faceplate snappably couple to one another.
 12. Thepower hub of claim 9, wherein the one or more rails are T-shaped. 13.The power hub of claim 1, wherein the electrical receptacle blockcomprises one or more electrical receptacles on a first side and one ormore electrical receptacles on a second side.
 14. The power hub of claim13, wherein the one or more electrical receptacles on the first andsecond sides are configured as NEMA receptacles.
 15. A power hub,comprising: a base assembly; a shaft extending upwardly from the baseassembly; a housing extending upwardly from the shaft, the housingincluding one or more rails extending into a cavity; and an electricalreceptacle block housed in the housing, and comprising: a housingcompartment housing a bus bar assembly; a faceplate; wherein the housingcompartment and the faceplate slidably engage the one or more rails fromopposing sides of the housing, and wherein the housing compartment andthe faceplate are snappably coupled to each other.
 16. The power hub ofclaim 15, wherein the one or more rails are T-shaped.
 17. The power hubof claim 15, wherein the electrical receptacle block comprises one ormore electrical receptacles on a first side and one or more electricalreceptacles on a second side.
 18. The power hub of claim 17, wherein theone or more electrical receptacles on the first and second sides areconfigured as NEMA receptacles.
 19. The power hub of claim 15, whereinthe housing includes an impact loop, wherein an upper portion of theelectrical receptacle block is free and is spaced from an upper portionof the impact loop such that in the event the power hub is tipped over,the upper portion of the impact loop absorbs contact with a groundsurface to lessen the impact imparted to the electrical receptacleblock.
 20. The power hub of claim 15, wherein the base assembly isconfigured to abut a flooring surface and has a weight that is greaterthan a combined weight of the housing and the electrical receptacleblock.